Three men who received indeterminate prison sentences under the now-discontinued Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) and Detention for Public Protection (DPP) provisions have had their sentences overturned following an appeal hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday.

Liam Bennett, who had been serving an indefinite sentence since 2007 after being convicted of arson for setting fire to the attic of an empty building causing £3,000 in damage, was resentenced to a fixed term of four years and 264 days by Mr Justice Choudhary. Bennett, who had expected to serve a little over 18 months initially, had spent more than 20 years in custody without parole.

Similarly, David Ings, sentenced in 2006 for robbery and assault committed when he was 17, had his sentence converted to a 42-month term followed by a 30-month extended licence. Given their time already served, both Bennett and Ings, now 38 years old, are to be released immediately. Their families expressed relief in court as the judge declared their indeterminate sentences “cancelled.”

James Ward, also sentenced under the IPP scheme in 2006 at age 21 for arson and criminal damage, had his sentence quashed. Ward, who had been released on parole in August but remained under IPP licence supervision, was told he will no longer be subject to supervision. Ward was present in the public gallery during the hearing.

Mr Justice Choudhury, sitting alongside magistrate Norma Grant, emphasised that the appellants had already served significantly longer than the fixed replacement terms. The judge stated that the effect of the ruling was to grant immediate and unconditional release for Bennett and Ings, and to end Ward’s licence conditions.

The IPP and DPP sentences, intended to detain offenders deemed dangerous without a fixed release date, were abolished in 2012; however, the measure was not applied retrospectively. This left thousands of prisoners facing indefinite detention without clarity on release, a situation critics have described as a miscarriage of justice.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has referred more than 25 IPP and DPP cases to appeal courts this year alone and continues to review over 250 cases. Their work has led to a significant number of successful appeals.

The three appellants’ cases highlighted the original courts’ failure to properly consider factors such as youth, maturity, and the appropriateness of imposing indeterminate sentences. For instance, Mr Bennett’s original sentencing judge did not sufficiently weigh his age, immaturity, and the possibility of rehabilitation, said Dr Muin Boase, who represented him. The 2007 ruling found no solid basis for the original determination that he posed a danger to the public.

David Ings’ sentencing was challenged on the grounds that the court did not consider an extended sentence as an alternative to indefinite detention, a missed step deemed “a very serious error” by Mr Justice Choudhury. His lawyer, Annie Fendrich, maintained that public safety would have been adequately served with a fixed term and extended licence. Ings’ mother had publicly called for his release, emphasizing the circumstances surrounding his offenses and his young age at the time.

James Ward’s case was held to have involved an “unreasonable” presumption of dangerousness, given his offence was at the less severe end of the arson spectrum. Ward had been recalled to prison after initial release but was finally freed earlier this year.

Political figures have acknowledged the ongoing controversy over IPP sentences. Last month, Andy Burnham pledged legislative action before the end of the current parliament to resolve the issue and ensure justice for those affected. A cross-party group has been tasked with determining the details of how the longstanding problems associated with IPP sentences will be addressed.